I’ve been skiing a Head S11 boot, with custom footbed having substantial heel lift (limited dorsiflexion) and arch support (metatarsalgia). I have wide feet, 4E. The boots have always been very tight and fairly uncomfortable, both forefoot and top of instep squeeze, but have gotten more comfortable over time.
A heel issue developed a couple years ago. I had the boots ground/punched, reducing the boot's bulge over the heel, and the heel pain went away. However, I’ve noticed a little lifting of my heel and rubbing when getting forward or (limitted) hiking for turns. This is acceptable when skiing groomed with some moguls and no hiking, but I’m planning on going all-out on mogul improvement this coming winter and I believe the greater fore/aft required is likely to start to tear up the heel unless I can get a firmer heel hold in the boot. E.g., more than a couple attempted dolphin turns is a no-no, the heels rub and start to hurt!
My Plan
I’m thinking about getting Intuition boot liners as a way of improving the heel hold. In bare feet and with toes touching the bootshell there’s about ¾ inch behind the heel. My bare forefoot touches both sides of the boot shell, width fit is tight. Based on the Intuition website, my current medium/tight shell fit, wide feet, high instep, and substantial footbed, the Intuition Pro Tongue is indicated.
Because of the tight fit in forefoot and instep, I’m thinking of getting the boots’ forefoot area punched before purchasing and molding the Intuition liners. I’m planning on doing the home fitting, rice and microwave approach as described on the website and with YouTube video’s available.
I’ve read thru jbotti’s 1/07/2014 and 2/18/2016 threads, as well as a number of other Intuition Pro Tongue reviews and the Intuition website.
My Questions
Do the Pro Tongue liners make sense? Will they likely enhance heel hold? Do they have too much material to work given the already tight boot fit?
Do you see any potential problems with the forefoot boot punch prior to molding the Pro Tongue liners?
Can I use my insertable boot dryers (no fan, passive heat) with the Pro Tongues, or might the liners deform?
Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions,
Paul
PS. I’d love to get new boots and full-on Harb alignment/fit, but a) I’m in Ohio, and b) I’d like to avoid the cost of new boots at this time.